General Description

Computing DRAM is a type of RAM (random access memory) used as the main memory in general purpose computing devices, such as desktop and notebook computers. It is the most widely used semiconductor memory used in current generation computers, and offers several significant advantages, such as very high packing densities (number of bytes that can be stored per unit of chip area), low power consumption, and sufficiently high data read/write speeds. Commonly known as DRAM, this memory has undergone several innovative technological developments and offers very high price/performance ratios. 

Double Data Rate (DDR) and its higher-end derivatives, DDR2 and DDR3, are considered the industry standard commercial versions of DRAM memory. Advancements in semiconductor design, development, and fabrication processes have enabled the development of high-performance DRAM memory, making the design of devices and applications, such as ultra-thin notebook computers, possible. Progressive developments in DRAM memory have resulted in newer versions operating at lower voltages, resulting in increasing levels of power savings. DDR1, the original DRAM memory, was replaced by DDR2, which was soon replaced by DDR3 – the version currently most widely in use. DDR4 is the next variant in the pipeline, and is expected to operate at even lower voltages, while providing twice the bandwidth of DDR3. 

The latest generation DRAM memory is not just faster, but also highly power-efficient, containing dedicated on-board power-management features to reduce power consumption during the memory’s idle cycles. Current generation DRAM, such as DDR2 and DDR3, operate at very low voltages, significantly reducing the power consumption and extending the usable duration in battery-powered devices, such as notebook computers. Moreover, using increasingly dense fabrication processes, DRAM chips with progressively higher capacities are being fabricated, reducing not only the count for the number of chips going into the end product, but also reclaiming board space that previous generation chips would otherwise occupy within the product – a significant advantage for applications, such as notebook and portable computers.